Which easement benefits a person or organization rather than a specific parcel of land?

• A. Easement appurtenant
• B. Easement by necessity
• C. Easement prescriptive
• D. Easement in gross

Answer: (D)

An easement in gross is the type that benefits a person or organization rather than a specific parcel of land. There’s no dominant parcel tied to the right—the right holder (a person or company) enjoys the easement as a personal or corporate benefit, such as a utility company running power lines or a railroad right-of-way. Because it’s not tied to land, it doesn’t automatically transfer with ownership of a particular property in the same way an easement that runs with land does. By contrast, easements appurtenant attach to a parcel of land and benefit another parcel (the dominant estate) while burdening the servient estate, and they run with the land. Easement by necessity and prescriptive easements are typically tied to land ownership and use aspects, not to a specific person or organization.